Self-adjusting wrench



June 3, 1952 c. B. LOBER SELF-ADJUSTING WRENCH Filed Sept. 3, 1947 1 mlllllllllllillllll!llllllIh: HIM. mum-m:

lllillllllllllllllllllllll'hlllllll l INVENTOR. C/orerpce B. Lobe)" Patented June 3, 1952 SELF-ADJ USTIN G WRENCH Clarence B. Lober, United States Army,

Dayton, Ohio Application September 3, 1947, Serial No. 771,961

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may bemanufactured and used, by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. V

This invention relates to wrenches generally,

and its primary object is to provide a wrench having a novel camming action in its grippmg mechanism so as to produce a maximum mechanical advantage.

' tion will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of the novel wrench;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the jaws and its spacing member;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified construction of the wrench;

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view, partly in section, of the wrench shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, of a still further modified construction; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a wrench embodying the pivotal construction shown in Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the numeral I indicates an elongated rigid bar adapted to serve not only as a handle for the wrench but also to support the clamping members. Pivoted to the end of the bar remote from the handle, which is indicated by the numeral 2, is a jaw 3 which is secured to the bar by means of a pivot pin 4. A spacing plate 5 is also mounted on the pin 4 between the jaw 3 and the body of the bar, and serves to space the jaw from the bar. This jaw, as well as others described herein, may be provided with the usual teeth to bite into the material being operated upon.

Also pivoted to the bar I, intermediate its ends, in a second clamping member or jaw indicated by the numeral 6 and here shown as of circular or disc form. This disc is eccentrically mounted on the bar I by means of a pivot pin I, and-has its periphery serrated as indicated by the numeral 8' for the purpose of providing the necessary biting action'into the jar closure or other element to be gripped by the wrench.

The pivot 1 is so spaced from the jaw 3 as to provide the necessary cooperation between the disc and the law 3, and it will benoted that the diameter of the disc 6 is such that it will clear th jaw 3 if the disc should be swung to either side of the bar I, and hence the wrench may be readily used for gripping purposes with the main body of the disc 6 on either side of the bar.

This arrangement of a pivoted jaw 3 and the eccentrically pivoted disc provides a camming action when the wrench is applied to a jar closure or other article to be turned, and consequently the gripping action is increased as the turning moment applied to the handle increases, thereby providing a decided mechanical advantage in the operation of the wrench.

In the modified construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the advantages of the eccentrically mounted disc are also included but the construction is altered so as to permit the wrench to be used in connection with the screwing and unscrewing of nuts and also for cooperation with round articles such as pipes, etc., by the mere removal of one of the elements. In this construction the bar is indicated by the numeral [0, and is provided with a handle I l at one end and a hook formation l2 on its opposite end. To the end l2 a jaw I3 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin M, and in this construction the end of the bar is provided with an elongated slot to provide prongs between which the jaw I 3 is pivoted as well as the other gripping element of this modified form of the construction. This other gripping element, namely, the pair of discs l5, held in spaced relation by a spacer l 5', is eccentrically mounted within the slot of the bar 10 by means of a pivot pin or rivet l6. Disposed between the discs I5 is an arm I! provided with an elongated slot I8 through which the pin [6 extends. On the free end of the arm I! a jaw I9 is pivoted as by means of pin 20, and this jaw is intended to cooperate with jaw 13 in gripping an article. To this end the jaw I9 is disposed in the planes of the discs [5 so as to be cammed thereby into a progressively tighter contact with the nut or the like as the wrench is applied thereto. This movement of the jaw l9 toward and from the article being operated on is permitted by the pivotal and sliding connection of the arm l1 about the pin 16 provided by the slot H3. Should it be desired to use this wrench as a pipe wrench or the like, it is only necessary that the arm I! with its attached jaw I 9 be withdrawn from about the pin I6, thereby permitting direct contact of the edges of the discs It with the pipe or the like so..as to cooperate with the jaw. 13. This construction as heretofore mentioned: provides all thea'dvantagesof'the wrench shown in'Figures 1' and 2, but additionally provides for use.v in the screwing and unscrewing of nuts by the Sim-"'- ple addition of a single element andLw-ithou't the use of any separate attaching means.

In the modified construction showrrirr-Figures 6 and 7 a floating pivot is provided for the clamping disc, and it will be understood, oficoursathat.

this floating pivot may be incorporatedin either of the previously described forms of the invention. In this form of the. invention --the.- :bar;is indicated by the numeral 30, andriseproyided-iwith a handle 3| at one ends-and a jaw 32 at its oppoe-site end. pThe jaw 32 is.,pivoted' towthenbarqby -smeans of .a pivot; pin 33: and is spacedqtherefrom byfl'at-spacing plateifl also mounted; onxthe :pin 33. part o'flthe construction is identicalrwiththat shown ini Figure 1,;but obviously thej-jaw of Fi sures g4 tandi-could be. equally well incorporated n. in thispa'rticularconstruction.

#The1bar53il isprovided with a slot 35 extending longitudinallythereof, and; through which-reexvtitendsa pivotpimtfi-onewhich the clampingdisc 13'1:,-is-reccentrical1y mounted. Within the; slot. 935 v isa compressionspringmr. other resilient element 38, one,.endbf.which bears-against aside otthe pivot; pin 36 and the other .endagainst thew-opl p ositesend. of thev slot-3 5, thereby fl-bia-singrtha pin 36. and;the. disc 37 toward-the j aw 32, therebyrinsuiting-(contact of. the. -,disc l with. athe :obJ' ect op- ,reratedaupon. Io-maintain-the spring 3BWithin eitsslot 35,-washers39are mounted-onthe pin- 3.6,

oneron eachsidemf sthe bar-3fltso asrto completely enclose the spring. Thisconstruction.provide a floating pivot for the. clamping .disc 31 ,uand thus enhances "its: gripping.v action in the cooperation .twiththe oppositerj aw of -the-wrench.

Fromwtheforegoing vdescription, considered in connection with the attacheddrawings, it wilLbe r:apparentto thoseaskilled in the: artthat Lhave wdevised afwrench of relatively-few parts of simple -ccnstruction; .thatthee-wrenchis. so, constructed 4 as to provide a progressively increasing grip upon articles to which it is applied by reason of the camming action of the eccentrically mounted disc, and that by reason of the removably mounted arm and its attached jaw the wrench may be read- .i1y...converte,dc from apipelwrenchsto .a wrench wsuitable .fonthe applicatiorr or removalpf nuts of various types and contours, and vice versa.

There have been described herein what I now consider to be the preferred forms of the inveni-ition,=";but;minor structural details may obviously be altered Within the scope of the invention, and aj'ititis intended'that all such changes be included Within the scope of the appended claims. fisIzclaim:

, 1...A ,wrench comprising a bar formed at one "endto provide a handle, a jaw mounted on the,

' REFERENCES CITED Thaiollowingreferences; are 'ofzrecordfimethe --,filezof; ;th isrmatent:

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